Technical Field
This application relates in general to the field of remediation of contaminated matter, and in particular to the field of remediation of soil matter including organic and non-organic matter, i.e., soil matter which is formed as residuals from civil/construction projects. More specifically, the application relates to a sorting plant/station for separating, sizing, and classifying a selected matter from a mixture of materials which may include organic matter, loam, soil, rocks, sand, and the like.
Description of Related Art
Soil contamination is common in every country. Once the soil becomes contaminated, precipitation may infiltrate through the soil and carry contaminants downward into groundwater. Groundwater is a primary source of drinking water in some areas around the world, i.e., in the Unites States it represents about fifty percent of the country's drinking water. When the contaminated soil is left untreated, contaminants may not only carry contaminants downward into groundwater, but also it could affect the environment, and finally negatively affect human health. Thus, the mitigation of contaminants in the subsurface is an issue that needs to be addressed.
One of the main sources for soil contamination is construction sites. Construction sites produce massive amounts of construction waste and displace a great quantity of soil. Construction waste generated during civil developments like construction projects, road improvement, demolitions, and the like have created difficulties across the United States, difficulties of the environmental and financial type. When it comes to difficulties of the economic type, construction waste can increase the overall cost of any civil construction project. For example, when builders construct or demolish buildings, bridges and the like they likely will generate some waste matter or debris. In particular cases, this waste matter remains confined to specific items. These items could include specific construction materials such as drywall, concrete, bricks etc. To comply with prescribed regulations, builders need to reuse or recycle some part of this waste. Alternatively, the hiring of a waste disposal company is needed which is cost prohibitive. The waste removal company or the waste removers will not only collect and sort the waste based on its recyclable value, but the company will also dispose of the waste at the landfill causing an environmental impact, while only some will get deposited for recycling.
Therefore, builders can find themselves stocked with oversized piles of matter, sometimes contaminated, which eventually needs to be removed, transported, and discarded from the property. Matter can be typically classified into three main categories: organic-rich topsoils, sand, and organic-containing loam (silty sand or strata). Waste removers have created markets where matter can be sold for a profit. Within these markets there may be existing markets for organic-rich topsoils, and sand. However, the organic-containing loam (silty sand or strata) is not easily marketable and is generally stockpiled off-site. Stockpiles off-site are common at many construction sites and recycling centers across the United States.
One of the reasons why organic-containing loam is not marketable is due to its organic components. Within these organic components, silty sand can be found. When trying to classify silty sand, silty sand lacks enough organic content to be re-used as topsoil, but contains too much organic content to be used as a component in concrete, asphalt, or to be satisfactorily compactable for construction and fill purposes. Thus, the silty sand stockpiles continue to grow at recycling facilities or are illegally dumped across the United States.
Therefore, a need exists for more efficient ways to process, recycle, or dispose of contaminated soil, organic-containing loam, and the like.